Posted 09-22-2002 at 07:03:31
[Reply][Send Email]In September 1967 my Aunty (who I love dearly)had a son (Ian) doing a tour of duty in Vietnam. As long as I live I will never forget the day when she and my mum sat quietly and held each other all day. That morning my Aunty received a telegram from the Australian government, "It is with much sadness and regret that I must advise you that your son Ian Phillip Hartley was killed in battle for his Queen and Country". Next Tuesday marks the 35th. anniversary of that day. Today was a beautiful sunny Spring Adelaide day, and I shared the day with my Mother and Aunty, and while I cherish moments with these two women, the horror came flooding back to me as they sat embraced, drinking tea. I wrote this to help remove the demons from that day, I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you:-

Young men standing side by side,off to war they march with pride.

Through jungle battles they are strong and bold,pitty the poor boys who grow not old.

Though Mothers' tears and prayers remain,from this conflict came no gain.

To my cousin with memmories fond,the Lord has taken you to the Great Beyond.

You are not alone you are with good friends,you are in my heart till my journey ends.

With your Mother we all have cried,young men standing side by side.--------------------------------------------------God bless the Diggers.Love, happiness and peace to you all.Craig......

ol Henry

Posted 09-22-2002 at 19:34:35
[Reply] [No Email]Hello Craig I never lost any friends in viet nam but I know several that are still carying scars, both mental and physical, One of your countrymen had a song titled white crosses in the jungle, have you ever heard it? I don't remember who sang it but it kind of sums it up.see ya later Henry

Diesel Rider

Posted 09-22-2002 at 08:47:57
[Reply][Send Email] I am very sorry for the loss your family and countless other families around the world, on both sides of the battle lines. It would be wonderfull if we all had the wisdom, patience and compromise to settle every issue with kind words and a handshake. But that is about as impossible as making every country in the world prosperous without any industry or pollution. We will always have peoples who dissagree with us or hate us for no more reason than we are better off than they are, or they don't get along with others that are friendly to us. There is a time for peace, a time to grieve for those we lost- both in peace and war, and unfortunately ther is a time to make war, and take the offensive against those who would do you harm before they have chance to do more harm. If we stood by and did nothing there is more than a little probability that the freedoms we now enjoy would be lost to those who come after us. War is an absolute horror to mankind and more than a few have been fought for very little or no good reasons. Loss of our freedoms do to our own comlaciency would be one of a very short list of things that could be worse.

There is a time when War is the only answer. The terror is World leaders who lack the knowledge of when and the courage to do.

We have suffered too many "dog and pony shows".

It is sad that We are forced to kill those who would be friends if only We knew Them. To digress, A BIL worked in Germany right after WW11,married a very lovely lady, brought Her back to the States. She told Me the Town where Her home was, I very well recalled only a short time earlier watching the bombs from My plane blowing up the buildings in that town. I never spoke of it to Her. A lovely lady, a wonderful person.

Craig,a touching tribute to a lost one. We share Your sorrow.

Hogman*** ALL,LEST ANYONE

Posted 09-22-2002 at 14:16:05
[Reply] [No Email]think I am bemeaning anyone in refferance to "DOG AND PONY SHOW" I recognize the thousands of people whos lives have been lost. Those who gave are not those who caused.This I believe to be the greatest sorrow of all.

Mudcat49

Posted 09-22-2002 at 07:54:46
[Reply] [No Email]I guess that we don't learn our lessions well! Almost 58,000 American men killed or missing in Vietnam and now our great leaders in Washington City are rattling their sabers again. I guess it is just a matter of time till the cargo planes of flag drapped coffins start arriving home on US soil and more mothers and aunts are crying and hugging each other!! I say that Bush and Hussian should settle it like gentlemen with pistols at ten paces and let the young men of both countries live!!!!

June in SD

Posted 09-22-2002 at 08:45:24
[Reply][Send Email]Do you suppose, with conducting a war on two different fronts already they'ss reinstitute the draft. They'll take our daughters too. Women pushing the ERA for equal pay never thought about that one.

DeadCarp

Posted 09-22-2002 at 08:25:54
[Reply] [No Email] I hear that! From now on if 2 leaders decide they don't like each other, put them in a dam ring & sell tickets! You pompous egomaniacs wanna fight? Fight! We wouldn't let our kids goad us into taking sides, why let the bigshots?

Who's going to suffer if Bush sacrifices our youngsters to Iraq to fix his dad's screwup? Somebody not named Bush, that's who. and don't kid yourself, soldiers aren't anxious to die anymore than their mothers are to live with the memories. And in 20 years, the IMF might have an office in Beirut. The dead (our young folks and Iraq's young folks, whose parents will have good reason to hate our descendents then. the last ones who should die for oil and greed) will still be dead.

If pulling a trigger or lopping off heads still seems like the only answer to you, visit an Iraqi chatroom and get acquainted with their teenagers ...... :) I say there's always another answer.

Craig H

Posted 09-22-2002 at 08:08:42
[Reply][Send Email]You are dead right mudcat,I like all of you can never forget or forgive 9/11, I just wish George W would send flowers instead of bombs, but, I guess I'm just an old fashioned romantic and big time dreamer.Craig H.............

June in SD

Posted 09-22-2002 at 08:52:43
[Reply][Send Email]Not too likely. GW and GW and Cheyney are all Oil Men. Did you notice when Gore lost in the debates because of a sucky attitude that Oil prices went up. Just like the war in Israel is about water, the rest of the middle east is about Oil. And prices went up because all of our delivery systems involve Diesel power.

EIEIO Dennis

Posted 09-22-2002 at 07:22:29
[Reply] [No Email]Our prayers and thoughts will be with you and your family on Tuesday and know that we appreciate the huge sacrifice that was made.

A national memorial song dedicated to honouring the memory of Australian war dead.

Can you hear Australia's heroes marching? Can you hear them as they march into eternity? There will never be a greater love There just couldn't be a greater sacrifice There just couldn't be

Can you hear Australia's heroes marching? The ones who fought and gave their all

(Chorus) Can you hear Australia's heroes marching? Can you hear them as they march into eternity? There will never be a greater love There just couldn't be a greater sacrifice There just couldn't be

Can you hear Australia's heroes marching? They're marching once again Across our great land

Can you hear Australia's heroes marching? Can you hear them as they march into eternity? There will never be a greater love There just couldn't be a greater sacrifice There just couldn't be

Can you hear Australia's heroes marching?

June in SD AMEN

Posted 09-22-2002 at 07:13:43
[Reply][Send Email]If more World Leaders had an experience like yours maybe there would be less wars.

bill b va

Posted 09-22-2002 at 11:54:17
[Reply] [No Email]bush is taking advantage of the situation to assure his reelection in 2004 . he certainly had a different out look during veitnam . (of course gore went but had to have someone carry his pencil for him poor thing was all wore out from shoveling all of that hog poop back on the farm . )